"Garnet, what are you planning to do about Pacifica?" Ruby asked her son after all the guests had left. "I didn't argue when you picked her, but tonight drew the line. What did you two talk about that made her explode that way?"
"The interactions I have with the Selection girls are none of your business."
"Are you thinking of marrying her?"
"That's technically none of your business, but no, I am not planning on it in the slightest."
Ruby sighed. "So why are you keeping her?"
"Because I don't want her to go into the Games."
Ruby stopped and tried to understand her son's logic. "You don't like her, but you don't want her to go into the Games. Usually, when we don't like people, we want them to go into the Games. So this doesn't make sense to me. You wanna explain?"
Garnet smiled. He sometimes enjoyed confusing his mother. "I don't want her to go into the Games because she wants to go into the Games. I'm punishing her," he explained, with the matter-of-factness of a two-year-old.
Ruby paused again. "Maybe you do have a bit of my great-grandfather in you. You know, there's a much easier way to do this."
"What?"
"I can just make a ruling that none of the Selection girls may volunteer for the Games. They won't have to worry because of the new ruling anyway, and they don't go into the Reaping pool because they're Selection girls."
"It's that simple?"
"Not always, but in this case, yes. It can be that simple."
Garnet smiled again. That would kill two birds with one stone: keep Pacifica out of the Games, and keep Bellona out. "That would be great. Thank you, mom."
"Of course, honey. If you'd like, you can talk to Pacifica now. I had Violet hold her back."
"That'd probably be the easiest. This way I can get her out of my hair."
Pacifica Corwin, 18, District Four
Pacifica wasn't quite sure what to think when Violet Emerald held her back from the rest of the girls. A part of her wanted to be with the other girls because her outburst during the Ball probably didn't do her any favors. On the other hand, she was just done with the whole Selection business; all she wanted to do was go home and train for next year's Games, hopefully, to get a leg up on Calytrix. So maybe good things could come out of this.
A few moments later, she saw Garnet coming up to her. She had to admit, he did look pretty handsome in his signature garnet-red bow-tie and cummerbund. But looks could be deceiving, and Pacifica was madder at that man than anyone else in her life. "Hello again, Garnet," she smirked.
"Pacifica," Garnet began coldly, "I have come to let you know that I have not selected you to be my wife. You will be leaving immediately back to District Four; if you need anything in your room, someone else will be asked to retrieve it for you as it is too late to go back to the Selection house now. Thank you for your time here." And with that, he left.
Pacifica was pretty relieved that she didn't get any sort of punishment, but she was still a bit wary, especially considering how cold Garnet was to her. But she allowed herself to be escorted to the train by Ellis, then asked to retrieve her suitcase from her room (which she'd never unpacked). Upon arrival, she was passed off, so to speak, to Four's primary escort from the Games, Gallus Van Der Burg, so Ellis could go back to the Selection house with the other girls from Four. Pacifica retreated to her room on the train for the relatively short train ride back home; for the first time in a few weeks, she felt totally calm. She took off her dress and put on a pair of leggings and a tank top, something in which she was a bit more comfortable.
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. Pacifica opened it to find an Avox standing there. That was odd. "What do you want?" she asked irritably.
"My name is Alexios Nox, and I need a rebel leader."
Pacifica stood back. Avoxes weren't supposed to talk. Not to mention that Avoxes weren't supposed to exist; President Emerald, in one of her better moves, had gotten rid of the practice fifteen years prior. Something was definitely weird, but some sort of morbid curiosity led her to want to know more. She stepped back allowing Alexios to enter and close the door behind him.
"What do you mean a rebel leader? Why do you want me? I'm going to go into the Games. I'm gonna beat Calytrix for my spot."
"That's not something you'll be able to do. I heard through the grapevine that President Emerald is planning to release a formal announcement that says that Selection girls may not volunteer for the Games due to their close ties to the Capitol and potential bias from the Gamemakers."
Pacifica paused for a moment. Rage bubbled up in her in a way that she'd never experienced before. That damn Garnet had totally eliminated any chances of her fulfilling her dreams to enter the Games! "That fucking sucks! Fucking Garnet! I'm gonna rip his head off."
Pacifica continued to rage and scream and throw things; she noticed, however, that Alexios wasn't responding. She turned to him. "And what did you want to gain by telling me this?"
"I wanted to get you mad."
"Well, you succeeded. I'm so pissed! Why do other people get to do what I can't?! It's all Garnet's fault."
"And doesn't it bother you that you're leaving the Capitol in the middle of the night, like a criminal?"
"Yeah, that does bother me." Anger and frustration were building up inside of Pacifica.
"Pacifica, if you can't be in the Games, do you think anyone else should be able to? Why can't we work together to stop them? I recently lost my teen leader; you could be one of the strongest members of the Anti-Snow/Emerald movement."
Vision colored red, Pacifica saw nothing but validity in Alexios's statement. "You're so right, Alexios. I'll join you.
"If I can't be in the Games, nobody can."
Well, there we go! I didn't expect this to happen with Pacifica last week, but then this kind of happened. And now you see why CJ is so important to this story. What do you think?
I also wanted to point something out really quick regarding the Ruby/Garnet debate in the reviews. Remember that President Snow put in a no-change clause regarding the Games, meaning that legally, Ruby couldn't change the Games until after the 125th Games, which (obviously) just finished. Just putting that out there for your consideration, in case that changes anyone's mind.
This is the last chapter that I can guarantee before I leave to work at my camp for the summer. I'm on pretty much 24/7 with my kids, all going into fourth grade, so we'll see how much writing I get done. I'm shooting for once every other week or so, but I might not be able to do it. We'll seeā¦
In other news, I've got a new SYOT out! It takes place ten years after MMAM ends (more or less), and it may be more different than any other SYOT you've ever seen. Please read the chapter for more info!
Thank you all so much for your support. I'll see you next chapter, whenever that is.
-goldie031
